Advice and guidance for new and existing food businesses

Where can I get advice and guidance for my food business?

In all cases, when the council's food services officers visit businesses, they may identify shortfalls in legal compliance, give instruction and guidance on how to meet legal requirements and may make other good practice recommendations to help businesses maintain high standards.

Businesses requiring more detailed advice and direct assistance may need to seek this through trade associations, industry specialists or private sector consultant services. Alternatively, if such substantial advice is sought from food services officers this may be provided on a full cost recovery basis for officer time and travel, for example, this may include matters such as the following:

•     Food Standards Labelling Compliance Reviews 
•     Consultation on premises design and equipment installation
•     Allergen Management consultations / visits
•     Consultation on food/feed safety management procedures and review of HACCP plans. 

We provide links below to various partner websites, such as the Food Standards Agency and Defra, with detailed advice and guidance across a wide range of food and feed related topics. The food services occasional e-newsletter 'Food Focus' offers a range of food-related news and advice on emerging issues. Businesses can subscribe for free.

Do I need to register my food business with the council?

Yes. Food businesses in the East Riding must register with the council at least 28 days before opening – registration is free.

Registration applies to most types of food business, including catering businesses run from home and mobile or temporary premises, such as stalls and vans.

If you have more than one premises, you will need to register all of them.

The main purpose of the registration process is to let the council know where premises are and what type of business is being operated. In this way, we can ensure that every premise receives an inspection and resources can be allocated and targeted in the appropriate areas.

The food business register

The food business register is a public document that lists most of the food businesses in the East Riding.

Registering a food business

You can apply to register your food business online:

Apply to register your food business online

How and when will my food business be inspected?

All food businesses are subject to inspection when they start trading and at regular intervals afterward, according to the risk they present.

Find out more about food safety inspections and food standards inspections. 

Do I need food hygiene training and where can I find it?

If you run, or plan to run a food business it is essential that you have a good understanding of food hygiene. 

The following document provides a current list of food hygiene training providers within the East Riding.

List of food hygiene training providers (pdf 66kb)

Where can I get food safety advice? 

The council produces a range of advice notes covering more specific information on particular food safety issues which can be accessed below:

Where can I get food labelling and allergy advice?

The council is committed to helping food businesses by providing links to the main guidance for food labelling and allergen information below:

Business type

Food and drink

For a guide to what the law says on preparing and selling food and drink, including hygiene, composition, labelling and packing:

Business companion - Food and drink quick guide (external website)

Allergens

For advice on guidance on implementing, promoting and complying with the allergen legislation:

Food Standards Agency - Allergens information and guidance (external website)

Catering

For advice on the essentials of food labelling for caterers, including some commonly misdescribed examples:

Business companion - Food labelling for caterers (external website)

Fruit and vegetables

For a guide to the essentials of food labelling for the greengrocer, including the use of variety and organic:

Business companion - Food labelling for greengrocers (external website)

Meat

For a guide to the food labelling essentials that a butcher needs to know, including composition of meat products:

Business companion - Food labelling for butchers (external website)

Fish

For legal names of species and use of industry specific terms to help fishmongers with labelling:

Business companion- Food labelling for fishmongers (external website)

Baking

For the food-labelling essentials that a baker needs to know, including meat pies and sausage rolls:

Business companion- Food labelling for bakers (external website)

Herbal medicine and health foods

For advice on how the law applies to products sold in herbal medicine and health shops including food supplements, cosmetics and products of animal origin:

Business companion- Herbal medicine and health food shop (external website)

Product type

Pre-packed food

For the labelling requirements for packaged food products, including claims and nutritional labelling:

Business companion - Labelling of prepacked foods (external website)

Sweets

For advice on labelling of sweets including the specific rules for chocolate:

Business companion - Labelling of sweets (external website)

Beef

For advice on the EU Compulsory Beef Labelling Scheme:

Business companion - Labelling of beef (external website)

Composition of meat

For guidance on the difference between meat and meat products, and what is meant by a reserved description:

Business companion - Composition of meat products (external website)

Preserves

For guidance on the rules for the labelling and composition of jam, marmalade, mincemeat and other similar products:

Business companion - Labelling of jam and similar products (external website)

Honey

For information about the labelling requirements for honey producers:

Business companion - Labelling of honey (external website)

Sandwiches

For sandwich labelling information:

Business companion - Sandwich labelling (external website)

Eggs (direct sale)

For guidance on labelling for egg producers who sell directly to the consumer:

Business companion - Egg producers selling directly to consumer (external website)

Eggs (retail sale)

For the specific requirements of the marking of eggs for the retail sales, including descriptions and size:

Business companion - Retail sale and labelling of egg (external website)

Weights and measures labelling

We offer information for ensuring the weights and measures on your labels are accurate on the calibration weights and measures page.

If you are a newly registered food business (registered within the previous year) and are unable to find the answer to your query in the guidance below please contact the food standards team:

Email: food.services@eastriding.gov.uk

Where can I find out about Export Health Certificates?

Read more about Export Health Certificates.

How can I access the food services newsletter (Food Focus)?

Food Focus is our free quarterly newsletter produced by the council's food services team. 

The newsletter provides advice on current food safety and standards issues, whilst also providing information about activities within the team.

Latest issue

The latest edition of Food Focus can be accessed below:

Food Focus 42 (pdf 872kb)

Subscribe 

Subscribe to receive issues of Food Focus

Unsubscribe

Send an email with your name and type 'Unsubscribe - Food Focus' in the subject box to:

Email: food.services@eastriding.gov.uk 

Previous issues 

How do I develop a food safety management system, such as 'Safer Food Better Business'?

'Safer Food Better Business' is a free food safety management system created by the Food Standards Agency. It is designed to help small food businesses manage food safety and comply with the law. The pack can be downloaded via the link below:

Food Standards Agency - 'Safer Food Better Business' (external website)

Which other council services should I contactto make sure my business is being run correctly? 

You may need to contact several other services to help you run your business correctly.  

Examples of other services you may need to contact include: 

• health and safety
• street trading
• planning
• alcohol licensing
• waste collection
• building control
  
• business rates

What documents does the food services team produce about their performance?

Reports regarding the performance of the food services team can be accessed below: 

Where can I find food and feed guidance in relation to Brexit?

Guidance on how to prepare your business for Brexit is available on the  GOV.UK website. 

This includes guides for businesses which export to or import from the European Union in the event of 'no deal':

• GOV.UK - Preparing for a ‘no deal’ EU Exit: step-by-step guide to exporting (external website) 
  
• GOV.UK - Preparing for a ‘no deal’ EU Exit: step-by-step guide to importing (external website)  

Brexit Export Checks for UK Traders (pdf 159kb) 

Brexit Import Checks for UK Traders (pdf 174kb)

Brexit Livestock Export Checks for Farmers & Livestock Exporters (pdf 232kb)

Brexit Meat & Dairy Export Checks for Farmers & Food Producers (pdf 228kb)

Technical guidance notes and information can be found on the  GOV.UK website:

• GOV.UK - Exporting animals, animal products, fish and fishery products to the EU after EU Exit (external website)
• GOV.UK - Exporting GM food and animal feed products if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Importing high-risk food and animal feed if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Importing animals and animal products if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Health marks on meat, fish and dairy products if there’s no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Food labelling changes after Brexit (external website)
• GOV.UK - Food standards: labelling, durability and composition for bottled water (external website)
• GOV.UK - Protecting food and drink names if there's no Brexit deal (external website)
• GOV.UK - Producing and processing organic food if there's no Brexit deal (external website)

• GOV. UK - Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS): guidance  (external website)
  

There is advice on the Food Standards Agency website:

Prepare your business for the UK leaving the EU - Food Standards Agency (external website) 

The Food Standards Agency wrote in August 2019 to Food Business Operators who export products of animal origin (POAO) to the EU, informing them of additional data requirements should they wish to continue exporting: 

FSA - EU Exports Letter August 2019 (pdf 62kb)

After the UK leaves the EU changes will need to be made to the health and identification (ID) marks on certain food products of animal origin (POAO). Please see advice on this from the FSA at: 

Changes to Health and Identification Marks - Food Standards Agency (external website)

The Food Standards Agency issued a letter, on 11 February 2019, to all Feed Business Operators who export feed products of animal origin (POAO) to the EU, informing them of additional data requirements should they wish to continue exporting. This letter is also relevant for those businesses that may consider doing so in the future: 

FSA Letter to Feed Business Operators who export Products of Animal Origin to the EU (word 1.5mb)

On 3 April 2019 Defra APHA issued the following updated guidance in respect of fishery products Export Health Certification processes in the event of a no-deal EU Exit:

EU exports of fish and fish products - EHC requirements (pdf 169kb)

Guide for Export Health Certificates for fish and fish products in the event of a 'No Deal' exit (pdf 159kb)

There is various industry and trade association advice on EU Exit for businesses available on the internet, for example at:

The Brexit Food Hub Website (external website)

The Food and Drink Exporters Association (external website)